{"id":46355,"date":"2025-02-06T06:04:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T04:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T23:11:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T21:11:34","slug":"against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/","title":{"rendered":"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Despite losing his home in a fire and facing financial struggles, Onga Mabusela achieved seven distinctions in the 2024 NSC exams.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Thembelihle Secondary School matriculant stayed focused on his education, emphasising perseverance, self-determination and resilience.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mabusela will study astrophysics at UCT, encouraging the class of 2025 to stay determined, take breaks when needed, and find effective study methods.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Onga Mabusela from Khayelitsha faced many hardships during his matric year, including losing his home due to a fire. However, giving up was never an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Thembelihle Secondary School matriculant is an epitome of hope and perseverance. He achieved remarkable marks during the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) while the odds were stacked against him. He obtained a bachelor\u2019s pass and seven distinctions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 18-year-old was one of two learners who received special ministerial awards during the annual provincial NSC awards ceremony at Leeuwenhof, on Thursday 30 January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ceremony honoured the top learners and schools for their academic achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news24.com\/news24\/community-newspaper\/city-vision\/top-achievers-share-secrets-to-success-at-khayelitshas-joe-slovo-secondary-school-20250123\" target=\"_blank\">READ RELATED |&nbsp;Top achievers share secrets to success at Khayelitsha\u2019s Joe Slovo Secondary School<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class of 2024 achieved the province\u2019s highest matric pass rate, at 86,6%, and the highest bachelor\u2019s pass rate, at 47,8%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ministerial awards are given to candidates who have achieved excellent academic results despite facing hardship, ill health, and\/or personal obstacles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Maynier, Western Cape MEC for Education, said the matric class had set new records for the National Senior Certificate exams in the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mabusela explained that his parents lost their jobs adding financial strain to the family. This led to him often studying on an empty stomach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make matters worse the family was hit with yet another blow in 2023, when their home was gutted in a fire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mabusela said while he was facing hardship, he remained focussed on his goal: to complete his school career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen my home burned down, I realised that life is unpredictable. So, you must always put yourself in a position where you are safe because uncertainty is a dangerous thing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon receiving the award, Mabusela told <span>City Vision <\/span>he felt honoured to be recognised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news24.com\/news24\/community-newspaper\/city-vision\/meet-masixole-jali-the-teacher-behind-joe-slovo-highs-technical-mathematics-success-20250123\" target=\"_blank\">ALSO READ |&nbsp;Meet Masixole Jali: The teacher behind Joe Slovo High\u2019s Technical mathematics success<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am shocked and relieved. I am proud of myself and what I have achieved. Although your situation is dire it is up to you to change, you must manifest your reality. The community that you grow up in is not very productive, but you must be willing to be innovative and push yourself to achieve better.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The teen who will be studying astrophysics at the University of Cape Town this year, also shared an encouraging message with the class of 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMatric is challenging but also fun. You get to meet a lot of people on the way. You must be determined and find your groove. Find a way that you will be most productive. You don\u2019t have to study all the time you must take a break.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Proud father, Siyabonga Plaatjie said: \u201cI am proud of him. He did very well, considering the situation we went through.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He encouraged parents to support their children and ensure they stay in school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked what keeps him motivated, Mabusela proudly said, \u201csuccess is the only thing I strive for.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Onga Mabusela from Khayelitsha faced many hardships during his matric year, including losing his home due to a fire. However, giving up was never an option.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":46357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"70a90a75-c2d5-4827-816d-a23aba8a7b3f","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Kaylynne Bantom","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-46355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.9 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions | City Vision<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Onga Mabusela from Khayelitsha faced many hardships during his matric year, including losing his home due to a fire. However, giving up was never an option.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"City Vision\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CityVisionOnline\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-06T04:04:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-19T21:11:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kaylynne Bantom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cityvisionlive\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@cityvisionlive\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"City Vision\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"City Vision\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/11864c3a6fbb8f94f0d6575e9e089458\"},\"headline\":\"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-06T04:04:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-19T21:11:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":551,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/\",\"name\":\"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions | City Vision\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-06T04:04:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-19T21:11:34+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg\",\"width\":1620,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Onga Mabusela from Khayelitsha achieved seven distinctions.PHOTOS: KAYLYNNE BANTOM\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/\",\"name\":\"City Vision\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"City Vision\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/city-vision-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/city-vision-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"City Vision\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/CityVisionOnline\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/cityvisionlive\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@cityvisionnews\"],\"description\":\"City Vision is a free weekly community newspaper distributed every Thursday in the townships of the Cape Peninsula, including areas such as Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and Nyanga. Published in both English and isiXhosa, it serves as a vital source of local news and information for these communities.\",\"email\":\"cityvision@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"021 910 6500\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/11864c3a6fbb8f94f0d6575e9e089458\",\"name\":\"City Vision\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f09f7afc10d37f19acc41019602b8004f6a1c574a3093b9a58b87c207ec94180?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f09f7afc10d37f19acc41019602b8004f6a1c574a3093b9a58b87c207ec94180?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f09f7afc10d37f19acc41019602b8004f6a1c574a3093b9a58b87c207ec94180?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"City Vision\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/cityvision\\\/author\\\/cityvision\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions | City Vision","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions","og_description":"Onga Mabusela from Khayelitsha faced many hardships during his matric year, including losing his home due to a fire. However, giving up was never an option.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/","og_site_name":"City Vision","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CityVisionOnline\/","article_published_time":"2025-02-06T04:04:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-19T21:11:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1620,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kaylynne Bantom","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@cityvisionlive","twitter_site":"@cityvisionlive","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"City Vision","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/"},"author":{"name":"City Vision","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#\/schema\/person\/11864c3a6fbb8f94f0d6575e9e089458"},"headline":"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions","datePublished":"2025-02-06T04:04:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-19T21:11:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/"},"wordCount":551,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/","name":"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions | City Vision","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-06T04:04:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-19T21:11:34+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg","width":1620,"height":1080,"caption":"Onga Mabusela from Khayelitsha achieved seven distinctions.PHOTOS: KAYLYNNE BANTOM"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/against-all-odds-khayelitsha-teen-overcomes-hardship-to-earn-7-distinctions-20250206\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Against all odds: Khayelitsha teen overcomes hardship to earn 7 distinctions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/","name":"City Vision","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#organization","name":"City Vision","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/city-vision-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/city-vision-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"City Vision"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CityVisionOnline\/","https:\/\/x.com\/cityvisionlive","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@cityvisionnews"],"description":"City Vision is a free weekly community newspaper distributed every Thursday in the townships of the Cape Peninsula, including areas such as Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and Nyanga. Published in both English and isiXhosa, it serves as a vital source of local news and information for these communities.","email":"cityvision@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"021 910 6500","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/#\/schema\/person\/11864c3a6fbb8f94f0d6575e9e089458","name":"City Vision","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f09f7afc10d37f19acc41019602b8004f6a1c574a3093b9a58b87c207ec94180?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f09f7afc10d37f19acc41019602b8004f6a1c574a3093b9a58b87c207ec94180?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f09f7afc10d37f19acc41019602b8004f6a1c574a3093b9a58b87c207ec94180?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"City Vision"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/author\/cityvision\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/955fe7a958a04277b369788c94f5c501.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43242,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/learner-from-uxolo-high-schoo-in-khayelitsha-gets-six-distinctions-20240125\/","url_meta":{"origin":46355,"position":0},"title":"Learner from Uxolo High Schoo in Khayelitsha gets six distinctions","author":"City Vision","date":"25 January 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"An 18-year-old learner from Uxolo High School in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, was over the moon after she became one of the top learners at the school..","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5dbdef6b6a244ca486d70737693ff142.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5dbdef6b6a244ca486d70737693ff142.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5dbdef6b6a244ca486d70737693ff142.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/5dbdef6b6a244ca486d70737693ff142.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46149,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/manyano-learner-gets-6-distinctions-20220126-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":46355,"position":1},"title":"Manyano learner gets 6 distinctions","author":"City Vision","date":"27 January 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Lalela family from Ekuphumleni, in Khayelitsha, is still in shock after their child, Ntando (17) was declared top learner at Manyano High School in Khayelitsha from the matric class of 2021.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1b052123c7a84db68e0d25b4252cea71.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1b052123c7a84db68e0d25b4252cea71.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1b052123c7a84db68e0d25b4252cea71.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1b052123c7a84db68e0d25b4252cea71.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43251,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/local-forums-in-khayelitsha-and-gugulethu-expressed-mixed-feelings-about-the-2023-matric-results-20240125\/","url_meta":{"origin":46355,"position":2},"title":"Local forums in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu expressed mixed feelings about the 2023 matric results","author":"City Vision","date":"25 January 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Local forums have expressed mixed feelings about the 2023 matric results released by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga on Friday 19 January.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1c5a684983e64aae82abc94c18d9c8f0.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1c5a684983e64aae82abc94c18d9c8f0.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1c5a684983e64aae82abc94c18d9c8f0.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":294963,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/khayelitshas-manyano-high-achieves-99-5-pass-rate-106-distinctions\/","url_meta":{"origin":46355,"position":3},"title":"Khayelitsha\u2019s Manyano High achieves 99.5% pass rate, 106 distinctions","author":"Unathi Obose","date":"13 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Staff members and learners at Manyano High School at Ilitha Park were exhilarated after the school was announced as the top performing school in Khayelitsha with a 99,5% pass rate.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"MANYANA","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MANYANO-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MANYANO-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MANYANO-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MANYANO-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MANYANO-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MANYANO-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44465,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/forums-delighted-by-matric-results-20230125\/","url_meta":{"origin":46355,"position":4},"title":"Forums delighted by matric results in their communities","author":"City Vision","date":"26 January 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Following the release of last year\u2019s matric results on Thursday 19 January, members of the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KEF) and their Gugulethu counterparts have expressed satisfaction.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/af197757483c44298d5a9d16b88faf13.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/af197757483c44298d5a9d16b88faf13.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/af197757483c44298d5a9d16b88faf13.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42389,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/netball-festival-aims-to-keep-kids-off-the-streets-foster-talent-in-khayelitsha-20240912\/","url_meta":{"origin":46355,"position":5},"title":"Netball Festival aims to keep kids off the streets, foster talent in Khayelitsha","author":"City Vision","date":"12 September 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Phumza Maweni Khayelitsha Schools Festival brought together 16 schools and three local teams for a netball tournament, aiming to keep children engaged and motivated through sports.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5208f05d2504e4d90b4f63d3d513a53.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5208f05d2504e4d90b4f63d3d513a53.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5208f05d2504e4d90b4f63d3d513a53.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5208f05d2504e4d90b4f63d3d513a53.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5208f05d2504e4d90b4f63d3d513a53.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5208f05d2504e4d90b4f63d3d513a53.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"City Vision","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46355"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=46355"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/cityvision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=46355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}